LONDON — The British government on Monday unveiled sweeping proposed changes to its asylum policy, including headline measures such as extending the waiting time for permanent residency from five to 20 years and allowing officials to seize valuables from asylum seekers to help cover processing costs.
The move comes amid mounting frustration over the Labour government’s inability to curb small-boat crossings of the English Channel, where migrants often attempt the dangerous journey in overcrowded, unseaworthy boats.
Shabana Mahmood, the British home secretary, described the reforms “an entirely new asylum model for this country” in an official document outlining the changes.
“We have become the destination of choice in Europe, clearly visible to every people smuggler and would-be illegal migrant across the world,” Mahmood writes.
According to government figures published in a separate document, Germany, Spain, France and Italy received more asylum claims in the year ending in March 2025 than Britain.
Immigration is a top concern for British voters, and the number of arrivals by small boats has risen sharply since Prime Minister Keir Starmer took power. In the first half of 2025, arrivals were up by about 50 percent compared with the same period in 2024. The government said it would take a tougher line on removing people whose asylum claims have failed.
“When an asylum seeker has failed in their claim, we will take a far more hard-headed approach to removing them. We will remove people we have not removed before, including families who have a safe home country they can return to,” Mahmood wrote.
Some Labour lawmakers criticized the reforms. Stella Creasy, a member of Parliament, wrote in the Guardian, “In reality if this policy becomes law the UK will require ICE-style raids to remove people — and their children.”
The British government has taken inspiration from Denmark, whose center-left government has introduced some of Europe’s toughest — and most controversial — asylum policies. Denmark’s focus on temporary protection and the possible returning of refugees once their home countries have been deemed safe has been praised by some but sharply criticized by human rights groups that say it creates deep insecurity and hampers employment prospects.
Mahmood praised the Danish model. “Just like in Denmark, refugee status becomes temporary — lasting only until a refugee can safely return home,” she said in her statement. “Asylum seekers and refugees will not be offered the generous terms they currently receive. We will no longer have a duty to support those who have the ability to support themselves, nor those who break our laws or rules. Those who have assets will be forced to contribute to their bed-and-board.”
One Danish-inspired measure would see officials confiscating valuable items from asylum seekers in order to pay for costs of handling their case.
A Home Office minister, Alex Norris, told Sky News that people’s wedding rings or other family heirlooms would not be taken but that “if someone comes over with a bag full of gold rings, that’s different.”
He added: “it is right if those people have money in the bank, if people have assets like cars, like e-bikes, they should be contributing.”
Other proposals include allowing the return of refugees to their home country if it later is deemed safe, reviewing cases every 30 months, tightening family reunification rules and reducing taxpayer-funded benefits.
The policy changes remain proposals rather than law. While Labour commands a large majority in Parliament, the proposals still face opposition from within the party or from the courts.
Some opposition politicians accused Labour of catering to the agenda of Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing anti-immigration Reform UK party, which is leading in the polls.
Pete Wishart, the Scottish National Party deputy leader at Westminster, said that it was “outrageous that Labour is considering kicking people out who have been in the country for up to 20 years.”
“It’s no wonder people feel let down by Labour,” he added in a statement. “Prices are soaring, wages are stagnating and households are at breaking point, but Labour’s primary focus is on fighting each other and pandering to Nigel Farage.”
Farage, for his part, wrote in a social media post: “The Home Secretary sounds like a Reform supporter,” while expressing doubt that the polices would ever be implemented.
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